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Add FightsATW on GoogleJonathan “La Bomba” Gonzalez doesn’t want to be an email champion.
Gonzalez will put his interim WBA flyweight title on the line against unbeaten Abraham Perez at the GLC Arena at 20 Monroe in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sunday night, live on DAZN.
The stakes, a bit smaller this time, as in January, Gonzalez, 29-4-1 (14 KOs), put his career on the line when he faced unbeaten Yankiel Rivera. He would win the fight by unanimous decision to capture the vacant belt. Now, he is fighting with a different motivation: to be an outright champion. Currently, Ricardo Sandoval holds the outright title and is the only unified flyweight beltholder. Sandoval was set to face Galal Yafai at the start of the month, but the bout was postponed. Gonzalez admits he was willing to raise his hand for the fight and even contemplated calling out Sandoval on X once Yafai was unable to compete.
“I want to be a two-division legit world champion,” Gonzalez told FightsATW. “I would not like to [win the belt via] an email, but if it comes, it comes either way.”
Gonzalez has resurrected his career.
In October 2021, Gonzalez captured the WBO junior flyweight title in Fresno, California. He would make three defenses of his belt over three years before moving up in weight, aiming to become a two-division beltholder. That didn’t happen as Gonzalez was stopped in the first round against Anthony Olascuaga. Originally ruled a no-contest, it was later ruled a first-round knockout in Olascuaga’s favor. Gonzalez wouldn’t fight for over a year, with his first bout back being his win over Rivera. It was a fight for more than just bragging rights.
“That was the fight I needed to win, but I wasn’t sure I was going to win because of my age and being out a whole year,” Gonzalez said. “When eight weeks is only boxing, I am a dangerous fighter, and right now that is what I am doing.”
Perez, 14-0 (7 KOs), is an unbeaten professional who has never fought at the world-level as a pro. The 27-year-old from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Perez, won the 2020 Olympic Trials, going undefeated in the tournament. He turned pro in 2021 and has been unbeaten, mostly fighting in his home state. The bout marks not just Perez’s first world title fight, but his first time fighting a world-class opponent.
“We don’t overlook anyone,” Gonzalez said. “I am more mature and more intelligent in the ring.”
In preparation for this fight, Gonzalez has been sparring the minimumweight titleholder, Oscar Collazo. At 35, he admits he feels it. When he was 22, he ran a mile in 6 minutes and 20 seconds; now he runs it at 6 minutes and 50 seconds.
“I don’t think about [age] that much,” Gonzalez said. “But every training camp is harder.”
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